Overthrowing Wei: Starting with Cao Cao's "I'd rather betray the world than surrender

There was a deathly silence; even the wind on the ridge of the field seemed to stop for a moment.

The middle-aged man finished speaking, but his gaze never left Lü Ding.

He knew very well that this was no longer a question.

They're forcing me.

Force him to stand up and admit something—

You're going to get involved.

Lü Ding did not answer immediately.

He stared into the other person's eyes.

"You think," he began, "this is a matter for the manor?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback.

Seemingly not expecting that Lü Ding would ask a question first.

"Of course," he replied quickly, "The Zhao family's fields, the Zhao family's tenants, the Zhao family's steward—"

"If it's not something that happens within the manor, what else could it be?"

Lü Ding nodded.

asked again.

"So, who struck first?"

The middle-aged man subconsciously said:

"That is—"

He stopped halfway through his sentence.

Because everyone remembers.

The first to reach out were the members of the clan.

The first to grab the hoe were also members of the clan.

The tenant's shoving was merely instinctive.

Lü Ding did not urge him.

Just wait.

Waiting for those words, I'll just rot away in the air.

"Regarding the affairs of the village," he said slowly, "does it require us to seize hoes?"

"Do you need to push someone?"

"Should we use our clan members first?"

His tone was not harsh.

But one sentence at a time, he peeled away that veil of shame.

The middle-aged man's face darkened.

"They won't disperse!" he raised his voice. "That's insubordination!"

"Whose life are we defying?" Lü Ding retorted.

"The one in charge!" the middle-aged man blurted out.

Lü Ding smiled.

It's very light.

"Since when has the steward been able to carry out executions on the spot?"

These words were spoken.

For the first time, people lowered their heads on both sides of the field ridge.

Not a tenant farmer.

They are several branches of the Zhao family.

They suddenly realized—

This matter has been discussed in a very dangerous way.

"I'll ask one more question," Lü Ding continued.

"If I hadn't come just now..."

He looked up at the trampled dirt on the ground.

"The hoe really did fall."

"One was injured."

"Or, kill one."

He paused for a moment.

"You can still stand here and say one thing to me—"

"Is this something that happens within the manor?"

The wind blew in from the other side of the field.

The wind chilled one's spine.

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a sound immediately.

Because he suddenly realized—

If we continue talking about this, it will no longer be possible to keep it to ourselves.

"Young Master Lü," he finally spoke, his tone lower than before.

"You're being too harsh."

"We didn't want things to turn out like this either."

"Don't want to?" Lü Ding repeated.

He raised his hand and pointed to the clansman who had been pressed down by Xu Huang and had not yet fully gotten up.

"Then what happened to him?"

No one responded.

Lü Ding looked at Xu Huang.

"Xu Sima".

Xu Huang immediately responded.

"exist."

"What did you see just now?"

Xu Huang did not hesitate.

"Upon seeing any members of the clan, seize the hoe first."

"Seeing that the tenants had nowhere to retreat, they were forced to push back."

"I saw several people armed, facing off on the edge of the field."

Every sentence is like a nail.

Each sentence was nailed to the ground.

The middle-aged man's expression finally changed.

"Xu Sima," he managed to keep his voice steady, "you must take responsibility for your words."

Xu Huang glanced at him.

"Prefect Sima is here."

"What I see is all true."

As soon as those words were spoken...

Finally, someone in the Zhao family realized something was wrong.

It wasn't Lü Ding.

Yes--

官。

"I will not interfere with the Zhao family's tenancy agreement," Lü Ding said at this moment.

This sentence brought a sense of relief to many people.

But the next sentence completely froze them.

"But today's standoff—"

He lifted his foot and stepped onto the edge of the paddy field ridge.

The soil beneath my feet is very loose.

"This is no longer something you can handle behind closed doors."

The middle-aged man suddenly looked up.

"Lü Ding!"

"What do you mean by that?"

Lü Ding did not look at him.

Instead, they looked towards the other side of the field ridge, at the tenants who hadn't yet put down their hoes.

They stood very straight.

My hands are shaking.

But they didn't back down.

"What I mean is very simple."

Lü Ding's voice was not loud.

Yet it can hold down the entire field.

"Here today."

"There are no tenants of the Zhao family."

"There are no tenants of the Shen family either."

"only--"

He paused for a moment.

"Was there blood?"

These four words fell.

The air had turned completely cold.

"If blood is shed today," Lü Ding continued.

"The government doesn't ask how much rent the Zhao family pays."

"Just ask—"

"Who makes the first move?"

"Who didn't stop them?"

"It's all because the trouble started inside the village and has spread outside."

He turned his head and looked at the clan elder.

"By then."

"Are you going to try and dismiss this as 'a matter within the estate' behind closed doors?"

The clan elder finally collapsed.

Are you threatening us?

Lü Ding looked at him.

Very peaceful.

"I'm giving you a reminder."

After a brief silence.

A muffled thud came from the edge of the field.

Someone put down their hoe.

Not a tenant farmer.

He is a steward on the Zhao family's side.

The moment he put down the hoe, it was as if something had been taken away.

Followed by.

the second.

The third.

On the tenants' side, however, no one made a move first.

They are waiting.

Waiting for a result.

"Regarding today's matter," Lü Ding said finally.

That's all.

"Everyone, retreat."

"Put down the hoe."

"Whoever makes another move."

He glanced at Xu Huang.

"That's no longer a matter for the manor."

Xu Huang took a step forward.

The hilt of the knife trembled slightly in the wind.

It wasn't pulled out.

But it is clear enough.

The middle-aged man stared intently at Lü Ding.

for a long time.

He then slowly cupped his hands in greeting.

"it is good."

That's all for today.

He spoke in a very steady voice.

But no one could fail to hear it—

This is not admitting defeat; it's merely a retreat today. The feud has already been formed.

The tenants slowly dispersed.

One by one, the hoes were planted back into the ground.

But no one went far.

They simply retreated to the edge of the field.

Lü Ding mounted his horse.

Before leaving, he looked back at the field one last time.

The sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

The people on the ridges of the fields did not immediately disperse.

The middle-aged man from the Zhao family stood there, watching Lü Ding leave, until the group completely disappeared into the twilight before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

He didn't curse.

He didn't say another harsh word.

He simply raised his hand, signaling the person next to him to follow.

That night.

Inside Zhao Family Village, in the small house behind the ancestral hall that is rarely used.

Several elders of the clan entered one after another, still in their robes, but their faces were not good.

"He's starting to reach out," someone whispered.

The room fell silent.

"If this matter really gets reported to the county level—"

Someone stopped mid-sentence.

"We can't let him continue down this path."

The eldest man finally spoke.

"The Shen family was able to change because they have a deep pocket."

"The Zhao family is no good."

He raised his hand and tapped lightly on the table.

"If the land rent is touched, the accounts will be cut off."

"We rely on food, not reputation."

No one inside the room objected.

"Go to the prefecture."

The old man spoke slowly.

"Go through the doors that need to be opened."

The candlelight flickered.